Archives for July 2014

Are you new to quinoa or are you on the bandwagon? Personally, I love it! I have used it repeatedly for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s a gluten free pseudocereal, not grain, that hails from South America. It’s related to beets, spinach, and swiss chard. From a nutritional standpoint, it is high in protein and rich in managanese. It also provides magnesium, zinc, folate, and fiber. So really, it’s a no brainer.

When I make a product recommendation, I mean it and I use it. I don’t give my “Cart Worthy” badge of honor to just any product. My favorite line of quinoa products is definitely Ancient Harvest. I love their quinoa and quinoa noodles. If you haven’t tried them yet, you should pick up a box next time you see it and give it a try. For this recipe, any quinoa will work, but I love the line of Ancient Harvest products.

With it being so new, many people don’t know how to use it. I have eaten it as a sweet and savory dish. It really comes down to how you season it and combine it with other foods. This recipe, by far, is my absolute favorite! The flavors combine to make summer salad that your guests will be begging for the recipe.

This salad is filled with a rainbow of colors and nutrition. The dressing is the perfect accompaniment that brings this salad to life. The bonus is a brand new study from the Journal of Nutrition states that eating avocado and tomatoes together, increases beta-carotene absorption. Beta carotene is what gives tomatoes their red color and converts to Vitamin A in your body. Vitamin A is key for immunity, good vision, healthy skin, and cell growth. So let’s get cooking!

For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. (I use an immersion blender). You can add more water if you want it a little thinner. It will be a thicker dressing.

Avocado Consumption Enhances Human Postprandial Provitamin A Absorption and Conversion from a Novel High–β-Carotene Tomato Sauce and from Carrots J. Nutr.2014 jn.113.187674; first published online June 4, 2014.

Lately, I am dreaming of Italia. The food, the culture, the history, and the views enchant me. I am in the process of planning our first trip. My husband’s boss recently got back from Sorrento, in the Campania region, and brought us the cutest “limoncello” towel with the recipe on it. I am a sucker for a town with food history. Sorrento is home of limoncello. Limoncello is one of the simplest recipes with four ingredients, water, alcohol, sugar, and lemons. It is usually served cold and with dessert. Since our Recipe Redux theme is “A Spirited Redux”, I can’t think of a more perfect way to show you how to incorporate some delicious spirits into your food.

I have been wanting to make pavlova for quite some time now. I have to admit, I was a bit intimidated. Meringue is an art in my opinion. Little did I know how easy and delicious this would be. Yes, they do take some time, but they are well worth the wait. My kids even loved them and requested these in the future with toppings of their choosing. I admit I made these into single servings so they would think they were cookies and would try them. (Sneaky mom!) These pavlova’s are like a light and airy cloud just waiting to be devoured. The Limoncello is the perfect addition to the berries that gives it more depth and flavor. It would be perfect on a fruit salad as well.

Do you buy more organic or conventional produce? Do you know where your produce comes from at your local supermarket? Did you know both conventional and organic farmers use pesticides? Leah McGrath, corporate dietitian for Ingles Markets based in Ashville, North Carolina, recently visited local farmers near Ingles headquarters. Knowing where your food comes from and how it is produced is increasingly becoming more important to consumers. Purchasing organic or conventionally produced fruits and vegetables is a personal choice. Organic doesn’t make fruits and vegetables healthier than conventional. Whatever you purchase, make a goal to eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables a day.

Disclosure: This post is in affiliation with my partnership with the US Highbush Blueberry Council.

Dietitians, download and print this picture for your next demo or media segment.

July is Blueberry Month! The US Highbush Blueberry Council is celebrating by releasing their new Retail Dietitian kit, Color Your Cart. It is a tool to help dietitians educate consumers on filling their carts with colorful fruit and vegetables, like blueberries, to help meet the USDA guidelines on making half your plate fruits and veggies. This USDA approved kit is fun and educational. It has delicious recipes, tour sheets, media segment ideas, and fun ways to encourage people to eat blueberries.

As a former retail dietitian, I was always looking for ways to encourage consumers to color their carts. The US Highbush Blueberry Council and I have combined USDA approved evidence based messaging with memorable ideas that will make your next in-store event or media segment stand out from the crowd! I have am sharing some of the vibrant and delicious recipes contained in the kit to give you ideas on simple things you can do to make the nutrition education easier and fun. The Blueberry Council has tons of resources on their newly updated website and consumer friendly infographics. If you are a retail dietitian not on our mailing list and would like me to send you the kit, please leave a comment or link to The Blueberry Council ‘s blog post announcing it.

Most of us eat 3 meals a day or more. This kit gives you meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Starting your day with a delicious smoothie, like this Berry Blue Smoothie is a quick and easy solution for people on the go while adding color to their diet.

Nothing says healthy more than a rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables. Whether you are teaching a cooking class, doing a in-store demo or media segment, or hosting your own dinner party, people will gravitate to this colorful plate. Nutrition is more than teaching people about nutrients, it’s about taste and presentation. This Blueberry, Watermelon, and Walnut Salad combines to provide all of the above. Setting out the ingredients separately may also encourage picky little eaters to try something new.

I think all of us need dinner ideas. I find myself in a rut at least once or twice a month. With all the fresh produce in summer time, the Blueberry Council’s Grilled Salmon Flatbreads with Blueberry Salsa is a perfect addition to your dinner table. This is perfect for meeting the USDA MyPlate recommendations and eating dinner out on the porch.

Snacking is a big deal for adults and kids. Filling simple white paper cups with vibrant colors is an fun and easy way to snack in color that gives you health benefits.

Every Fourth of July, my family does the traditional grill-out and swimming party. It is always oh-so fun, complete with every delicious summer food imaginable. This year, though, I wanted to change things up and provide options that are a little healthier for my family than our usual hamburgers and hotdogs.

Here lately, I have been experimenting with ground turkey a lot. I have actually discovered that I like ground turkey much better than ground beef! It is smoother and more evenly textured. I also just like the taste of turkey better, so I have been incorporating lean ground turkey into my spaghetti, casseroles, and tacos for a while. Since I have been using it for other things often, I thought, why not make a healthier hamburger for this Fourth of July? The results were mouthwatering!

When I shop, I make sure to choose a lean selection. This is where the health benefits come into play. In this recipe I used 96% lean ground turkey, which contains less saturated fat and more protein than the typical 80% lean ground beef that is commonly purchased.

Here is my take on the turkey burger. At the bottom of the page, you will find ideas for sides and desserts!

I started out with slicing my pepper and chopping my onion.

Next, I sautéed the onion. This softened it, giving it a better texture to be incorporated into the turkey burger patties. I used a small amount of olive oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

Next I mixed the egg whites, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder together. Using my hands, I combined these ingredients with the meat.

I added in the onions and Panko bread crumbs at this point. I used about 1/3 of a medium sized onion, but this could definitely be adjusted to your liking. I used the amount I felt would work well divided between four burgers. The bread crumbs could also be adjusted until the meat reaches a consistency that you like.

Next, I shaped the meat into four patties and put them on the grill! I cooked them on the first side for 8 minutes, flipped, and cooked for 5 minutes on the other side. I put cheese on each slice and let them cook for a few more minutes so the cheese could melt. I also toasted the hamburger buns.

I love fresh spinach. I prefer it over lettuce any time, so I used spinach instead of lettuce on my burgers. Spinach is great for you. It is packed with Vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, protein…the list goes on and on!

Bell peppers are another excellent source of vitamins and minerals, so I garnished with them as well. You could use any combination of toppings that you like. These turkey burgers were easy to make, tasted delicious, and only required a few ingredients. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did this Fourth of July!

Katie Bain is a senior food and nutrition student at The University of Alabama. She is interested in working with community wellness or as a supermarket dietitian in the future. Since she was a very picky eater growing up, she loves to find simple ways to help other picky eaters get the best nutritional value possible from the foods they love.

In her spare time, Katie is very active at her church. She is a volunteer at the church’s community coffee shop and teaches Bible study every week. She has a passion for mission work and ministry and is excited for future opportunities to combine this love with her love of nutrition. She also loves spending time with her four younger brothers and sister as often as she can!